Rowing is a high-intensity sport requiring constant power over a 2,000-meter (1.2-mile) race course. Many rowing teams accomplish this in about seven minutes. Anaerobic fitness is integral to rowing because it enables athletes to withstand the buildup of lactic acid and remove it from their bodies.

An athlete's anaerobic capacity is determined by available fuel stores and the effect waste products have on muscular activity. As exercise intensity increases toward an athlete's maximum aerobic capacity, energy demands can no longer be met by the aerobic system and the body must find other ways to produce energy.

During endurance races, blood lactic acid levels stabilize as lactic acid production increases because the body's capacity to produce lactic acid is matched by its ability to use it as fuel. As the body directs blood to working muscles it shuttles the lactate to other tissues and uses it as fuel. This reduces lactic acid levels in muscles and blood as the body produces lactic acid.

We tend to think our bodies cannot tolerate such high levels of intense activity and the buildup of lactic acid, but rowers are athletes who demonstrate that improving anaerobic fitness is possible and can lead to successful results!

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